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Friday, September 24, 2010

Let's put away the idea that Jefferson County schools cannot be expected to produce better results for its students from families with incomes that qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. The reality is that an overwhelming majority of Kentucky school districts deliver better results for that group of students.

In reading, for students from low-income families:

94% of Kentucky school districts delivered more 2010 student proficiency in third grade than Jefferson County did

95% delivered more student proficiency in fourth grade

91% delivered more student proficiency in fifth grade

96% delivered more student proficiency in sixth grade

92% delivered more student proficiency in seventh grade

86% delivered more student proficiency in eighth grade

63% delivered more student proficiency in tenth grade

In mathematics, for students from low-income families:

93% of Kentucky school districts delivered more student proficiency in third grade than Jefferson County did

95% delivered more student proficiency in fourth grade

86% delivered more student proficiency in fifth grade

96% delivered more student proficiency in sixth grade

91% delivered more student proficiency in seventh grade

89% delivered more student proficiency in eighth grade

60% delivered more student proficiency in eleventh grade

In science, for students from low-income families:

95% of Kentucky school districts delivered more student proficiency in fourth grade than Jefferson

95% delivered more student proficiency in seventh grade

75% delivered more student proficiency in eleventh grade

In social studies, for students from low-income families:

91% delivered more student proficiency in fifth grade than Jefferson

94% delivered more student proficiency in eighth grade

62% delivered more student proficiency in eleventh grade

In writing, for students from low-income families:

83% delivered more student proficiency in fifth grade than Jefferson

85% delivered more student proficiency in eighth grade

18% delivered more student proficiency in twelfth grade

Every district in our state can and should do better for students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. Jefferson County, currently delivering some of the weakest results around for those students, can and should do much better very soon.

Data note: The table below shows the rankings behind the reporting above. It also includes the Jefferson County rankings for percent novice.

Update: all results above are from 2010 results released yesterday. The original version of this post did not include that information.

The "too new" schools have no reported data for those years. When it's a school name that's been in use for years, what's new is the configuration of students attending the school. Jefferson County's changes in elementary student assignments may be the reason so many schools are reported as having no data before this past year.

The reports I've seen from the school system are consistent with the data I've seen, though carefully worded.

For example, the September 27 Monday Memo says that "All categories of students, with the exception of one, increased their reading proficiency." That's an accurate summary of a portion of the district's NCLB report.

It is also accurate to summarize the same report this way:

• Reading proficiency increased less than 2 percent for all students, for white students, for African-American students, for Hispanic students, for free/reduced lunch students, and for students with disabilities.• Reading proficiency increased by more than 5 percent for students with limited English proficiency.• Reading proficiency declined by more than 3 percent for Asian students.• Math proficiency declined by less than 1 percent for Hispanic students.• Math proficiency declined by more than 1 percent for all students, for white students, and for students with disabilities.• Math proficiency declined by more than 2 percent for African-American students.• Math proficiency declined by more than 3 percent for students with limited English proficiency.• Math proficiency declined by more than 5 percent for Asian students

If my interpretation of our Education Commissioner's comments is correct, it doesn't seem he gets the message that all children can learn at a high level. Courier-Journal 9/23- "By 2014 there will be no school in America that will make adequate yearly progress if they have any sort of diversity in their building."Jean Henry, CIPL Parent